Why allergy season may feel longer in Windsor and how to cope
The rain might bring some temporary relief — but for many in Windsor, pollen season arrived early and isn't letting up.
Those with seasonal allergies report symptoms hitting harder this spring.
Dr. Anne Ellis, an allergist and clinical researcher at Queen's University, says this is on trend.
'We're about the same as last year, which was also a good year if you're into lots of pollen — a bad year if you're the allergy sufferers,' she said.
Ellis said recent years have seen sharper seasonal shifts, contributing to what feels like more intense reactions.
'We don't really have a slow, gradual buildup of spring into warmer spring into summer,' she explained.
'We go from cold to super warm, and that triggers the trees to really feel like 'oh, I'm behind, I've got to get caught up.''
That rush can hit allergy sufferers hard, with symptoms ranging from sinus pressure and congestion to itchy eyes and sneezing — often mistaken for a lingering cold.
Your best bet? Ellis said talk to a pharmacist about non-drowsy medications. And if you're really suffering, talk to your doctor about getting referred to an allergist.
'We have very effective ways to actually change your underlying immune system so that you're not always coming back year after year with your same seasonal allergic rhinitis symptoms,' Ellis said.
She added there's a new tablet you can get that's meant to replace weekly allergy shots, too.
'It's an immunotherapy, so it's a tablet that dissolves under your tongue.'
Unfortunately for those in Windsor-Essex, geography plays a key role in how long people are exposed to allergens.
'You folks in Windsor probably have had pollen for a lot longer than we have in Kingston, being more southern and warmer temperatures,' Ellis told CTV News.
And while tree pollen is peaking now, grass pollen is on its way in just a few weeks.
'People who are allergic to both will start to have that double whammy of two allergens at the same time,' she said.
Tree pollen, Ellis said, is likely to let up over the next few weeks – typically by the end of June.
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